exposing the models and underground musicians of Miami & worldwide

August 23, 2016August 23, 2016

los de la vega

a true rock ‘n’ roller at heart, los de la vega is a ferocious dj / musician in a world of talented artists. carlos had the will to break walls his whole life, which has made him the strong-willed yet open-minded man he is today: a well-rounded, bohemian artist who knows what he wants and how to attain it.

the native miamian split his time between miami and louisiana during his early childhood years, accrediting new orleans for influencing him with blues, funk, and jazz. his ticket through life was through baseball, but when he finally stopped playing after college, he refocused his interests back to his other loves, like surfing and music. the self-taught drummer, pianist, guitarist, bassist, and engineer / producer learned the ruthless rules of the game as a teenager, which have benefited him in playing and creating boundless genres within the funk, rock, hip hop and electronic music world.

being able to roam all over the world is a blessing, but some of the best things he’s encountered are right at home, which literally happens to be one block from the beach. “my favorite thing about miami is the atmosphere and being able to walk outside and have clean air, whereas in bigger cities, it’s all about that city life with bricks surrounding you.” out of all the places he’s performed and seen, japan and south korea are among his favorite. “the whole eastern philosophy is full of discipline and respect. you don’t see that in the u.s.a. since everyone tends to act entitled. everyone is quick and efficient, and although it’s a very disciplined culture over there, they don’t need drugs to get loose. . . they blow up when they listen to the music.” if he had a choice, he’d love to musically live through the ’80’s and ’90’s in nyc listening to hip hop, blues, and funk, but historically experience the samurai times.

if there’s one thing he’s learned in life, it’s to not have any expectations. his mantra for other ambitious people is that anyone can make it happen, no excuses. “you can’t try to be original – what makes you unique is that you are born with your own originality. believe in yourself, reflect, and understand why things happen to you when they happen.” for a person who’s seen it all in the music industry, carlos claims that others tend to see him with a big ego, whereas he sees it as “a natural confidence” from knowing how hard he’s worked to get to where he is in his craft. “everyone has a talent, it’s just how you work at it. if you don’t, you can’t get ahead.”

with a fire burning deep inside, carlos hopes to also move people with a “bob marley message” and make people realize what’s important in life amidst the sadness and chaos occurring left and right all over the world. “it’s not pokémon go or instagram, or any form of self-validation. we were never prepared for technology. look at how much we’ve regressed since the internet first became open to the public about 20 years ago. people are ‘snapping’ while driving with their kids in the backseat. we just can’t handle it.” hearing and witnessing all the cruel acts of violence transpire in europe, the middle east, the u.s.a., and all over the globe also have people “on edge” with what’s to come next. “I’m worried and scared and don’t know what the eff is going on. . . things don’t just fall out of the sky or happen out of nowhere, but with all this work, what do I do it for? I feel fulfilled at a certain point, but in reality, what is it going to translate to?”

los de la vega plans on seeing himself doing this craft for rest of his life. “djing is the funnest thing I’ve ever done in my life, especially when you play your own music and hear it bounce off the speakers, it’s the funnest thing in the world.” he desires to be recognized as a producer for creating positive vibes and making good music, in his form of art that contributes to society. things come easy at times, but since there isn’t any foundation built on that, dj’s and musicians always come and go. “you lose your focus when you have all this money pouring in all at once. I’m able to handle that success since I’ve been through the whole sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll thing at a young age. everything comes in waves, so I’m just waiting for what’s coming next.”

in the upcoming months, he hopes to establish himself more so, put an infinite imprint in the music industry, and pull his production game off the ground with myriad spicy genres. whenever carlos isn’t working intensely in the studio, he looks to balance himself out and relax with surfing. be sure to support the free-spirited musician now on facebook and soundcloud.